It is common to transport hospital patients in wheelchairs. In such situations, the patient normally sits in the wheelchair and an operator, often referred to as the escort, pushes the wheelchair to move the patient to the desired location. To accomplish this, the escort often must maneuver the chair and patient in and out of elevators, through hallways, up and down ramps, into and out of rooms, etc. In addition, the escort often must assist the patient out of the chair or into the chair. Unfortunately, conventional wheelchairs are not very effective in such circumstances because they are designed for self-mobility, not patient transport.
One drawback of conventional wheelchairs is that escorts must bend over to reach the handles of the wheelchair to push it. The handles normally extend straight back toward the escort in an orientation that is unnatural for the escort and the handles are typically not adjustable. In addition, wheelchairs do not provide enough room for the escort's feet when walking, especially when longer strides are taken as when the escort is tall or when the escort is moving quickly. Furthermore, wheelchairs do not provide adequate storage for items such as the patient's belongings or medical documents and equipment. Typically, the only storage that is provided is a rear pocket that is integrated into the flexible seatback of the wheelchair. When items are placed in the pocket, the items tend to poke the patient in the back thereby making for an uncomfortable ride. Moreover, the upright sitting position and absence of head support can be uncomfortable for the patient over longer periods of time, even when items are not placed in the rear pocket.
In addition to the those drawbacks, it can be difficult for the escort to assist patients into or out of conventional wheelchairs. In either situation, the escort must bend over while supporting at least part of the patient's weight. Such an action can cause escort back injuries. Even when such injuries are not sustained, the act of assisting the patient into or out of the chair can require significant strength, which may not be possessed by the escort. It can also be physically straining for patients to get into and out of conventional wheelchairs, particularly if these patients are in a physically weakened condition due to age, illness, or injury.
A further drawback of conventional wheelchairs is that they take up a large amount of space when not in use and tend to be left in disarray in hospital hallways such that they impede personnel and hospital equipment. Furthermore, the footrests of conventional wheelchairs are detachable and tend to get lost. Moreover, conventional wheelchairs are easily stolen.
A further drawback of conventional wheelchairs is that they cannot recline. Sitting upright for long periods of time can be fatiguing to patients with weakened core muscles, spinal injuries, and the like. Conventional wheelchairs might be adequate for relatively robust patients who are unable to walk over long periods of time, but in practice wheelchairs are used to transport patients with more serious disabilities. As a matter of practical usage wheelchairs are not merely used to transport a patient from one place to another, but often the patient must wait for long periods of time in the wheelchair waiting for medical attention, such as when a patient is taken from the hospital room to a busy radiology center.
In view of the above-described drawbacks, it can be appreciated that it would be desirable to have alternative means for transporting individuals, such as hospital patients, from place to place.